Kevin Haskin: Efficient Cats issue statement

Wide receiver Tyler Lockett runs down the field after a reception against Miami Saturday.

MANHATTAN -- Sometimes the same old message just gets lost.

Bill Snyder realized that last week. Consequently the Kansas State coach stopped admonishing his football team for starting slow.

This, after the Wildcats needed 35 fourth-quarter points to pull away in their season opener.

“Coach Snyder did a great job backing down from that and just getting us to play ball,’’ linebacker Tre Walker said. “He’s not going to bother us about it or talk to us about it all.’’

Especially not now. On Saturday it became obvious that wisdom does not always need to be wrapped in long-winded chatter.

Kansas State started fast, ended fast and played fast, manhandling Miami, 52-13, in Snyder Family Stadium.

The outset keyed the onslaught. Running 18 plays overall to produce touchdowns on the first two drives, the Cats completely masked any and all vanilla by adding lots of swirls and sprinkles.

Draws, sneaks, scrambles, slants, outs and ups were all plays K-State ran successfully. And those were just the ones engineered by quarterback Collin Klein, who deserves to be considered as more than just a darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy -- silly as it is to put much stock in picks and polls this early in the season.

“It was great,’’ wide receiver Chris Harper said. “We were really efficient and real balanced all the way around. We were rolling.’’

Definitely. Of the 498 yards the Cats generated, 288 came on the ground and 210 through the air. They rushed for six touchdowns, yet the 11 times Klein did throw, nine balls were caught. Just one punt was needed, third downs were converted 8 of 11 times and the ball was controlled for 37-plus minutes.

The domination was thorough. So much so that all the Miami greats who get introduced on Sunday Night Football may think twice before smugly saying “the U,’’ to identify the college they attended.

Bennie Blades, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Warren Sapp, Russell Maryland and many, many other greats all rolled their eyes and clicked their remotes watching the Miami defense they once represented get torched and gouged.

The fact the blowout started early shook the young Hurricanes into a panic. Quarterback Stephen Morris managed 215 yards passing, but he also lost two fumbles as K-State administered five sacks and secured three takeaways.

The mismatch was so one-sided that afterward, the Wildcats’ worst snap was a popular topic, if only because of its comic value.

Sure, the botched trick play from the Miami 1-yard line could have seriously backfired. The Cats settled for a field goal attempt, which Anthony Cantele missed. Then the Hurricanes drove downfield, but only converted the break into a field goal of their own and still trailed 24-6 at halftime.

Do not, however, read too much into the attempted reverse Harper was supposed to run. Yes, Klein failed to deliver the no-look pitch and was assessed a fumble. And no, Snyder should never attempt such a play -- “We got fancy,’’ he said -- when he’s got the best rushing QB in college football to convert from a yard out.

Still, the Cats practiced the reverse all week. Which means, with Snyder in charge, all the gadgetry seemingly was perfected.

“I got sick of running it,’’ Harper said. “If you’d seen us practice, it was nice, but it wasn’t nice today.’’

“If it works it’s amazing and we’d be talking about that,’’ Klein added. “At least it didn’t cost us too bad.’’

Not at all. Honestly, had the Cats not been flowing so smoothly, Snyder may not have been inclined to try such foolery.

Despite that disaster, K-State showed enough offensive diversity to make future opponents type out a long checklist.

“We got better,’’ Snyder said.

They looked good doing it too. Convincingly good. Enough to shape them as Big 12 contenders, at least going into that showdown in two weeks at Oklahoma.

Yet Snyder, no matter what plays he runs or what message he delivers, will not trick himself into letting the Miami rout affect the Cats’ preparedness.

“You try diligently,’’ he said, not to let anyone in the program get satisfied.’’